Label holder



Feb. 28, 1967 J. c. SOBESKY LABEL HOLDER Filed 001;. 21, 1964 INVENTOR.

Soezsxv JOHN C.

.ATTORNE'VS United States Patent 3,305,957 LABEL HOLDER John C. Sobesky, Farmington, Mich., assignor to Office Products, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,490 6 Claims. (Cl. 40-11) This invention relates to a label holder, and more particularly to a label holder which can be removably secured to an element such as a book binding or loose leaf binder.

An object of this invention is to provide a label holder which will protect the surface of a label while keeping the label indicia visible.

Another object of this invention is to provide a label holder wherein securing'means are anchored to the body of the label holder so as to prevent interference with the insertion and removal of the label.

A further object of this invention is to provide a label held wherein the securing means are held firmly in place I in the body of the label holder and yet may be removed with ease.

Another object of this invention is to provide a label holder constructed in such a manner that the entire surface of the label is visible.

Another object of this invention is to provide a label holder which is quickly and inexpensively made.

Previously made label holders have had margins of solid material around the circumference, so that the indicia on a label might be obscured when the label was inserted in the label holder. Other previous label holders have had the means with which the label holder is secured to other elements anchored in the interior of the holder, which resulted in interference with the insertion and removal of a label.

The present label holder is free from a border around its circumference and secures its holding members to the label holder outside of the label holding area, so that no interference is encountered in the insertion or removal of the label.

Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the label holder of this invention mounted on a book binding.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the label holder as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top end view of the label holder.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front view of the label holder.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it is seen that the body 1 is comprised of a front portion 2 with flanges 3 which extend inwardly from the side edges of front portion 2 and overlie the rear face 4 thereof. Body 1 is preferably formed as a plastic extrusion which is arcuately shaped in transverse section. The flanges 3 are formed so as to exert a clamping pressure against a label 5 inserted between flanges 3 and the rear face 4 of the front portion 2. Along its opposite longitudinal edges body 1 is formed with longitudinal grooves 6. Each groove 6 has its open longitudinal side 7 facing laterally outwardly as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The open side 7 of each groove is defined by a pair of lips 8 formed with longitudinally extending nubs or ribs 9. Thus each groove 6 is generally circular in shape with the access opening 7 thereof of less width than the groove itself.

The means for securing the label holder to a book or the like comprises a retainer 10. Retainer 10 is preferably formed from spring wire into U-shape. Each leg 11 of the U has a return bent portion 12 extending from the end of leg 11 opposite the bight portion 13. Bight portion 13 spaces the parallel legs 11 apart a distance cor- "ice responding to the lateral spacing of grooves 6. Each leg 11 has a length slightly greater than the length of body 1 and the return bent legs 12 are slightly shorter with curved free ends 14.

Retainer 10 is mounted on body 1 by snapping legs 11 into grooves 6. The diameter of the wire from which retainer 10 is made corresponds generally with the size of grooves 6 and is greater than the width of access opening 7 between the ribs 9. Thus while the rounded ribs 9 facilitate insertion of the legs 11 of the retainer into grooves 6 they securely retain them in the grooves and prevent their accidental displacement from within the grooves. Retainer 10 is prevented from being displaced longitudinally of body 1 by reason of the return bends 15 at the upper ends of legs 11 and by the corner bends 16 at the lower ends of legs 11. In this connection it will be observed from FIGS. 2 and 4 that the flanges 3 at their lower ends 17 terminate above the lower edge of the front portion 2. Thus the bight portion 13 of retainer 10 overlies the rear face 4 of the front portion. From the standpoint of appearance, front lips 8 preferably extend the full length of body 1.

Because the legs 11 of retainer 10 are separated from the label retaining area of the label holder, insertion and removal of the label 5 is accomplished without interference from the retainer by merely sliding it between the rear face 4 and the flanges 3. The label is prevented from slipping down out of the holder by the transversely extending bight portion 13 of retainer 10 which engages the rear face 4 at the lower edge thereof.

The label holder is applied to a book or the like by slipping the legs 12 downwardly behind the back binding thereof. The angled disposition of legs 12 and the inherent resilience of the retainer will anchor the holder firmly in place.

Since the entire front face of the label holder is transparent, it is preferred that the labels used therewith have a solid color border 18 around the periphery thereof. Use of labels having a solid color border has a two fold advantage. With the border incorporated on the label itself rather than the holder, the indicia placed on the label can be positively located within the area bounded by the border and the possibility of a portion of the indicia being blocked out by a border frame on the holder is eliminated. In addition the borders may be applied in different colors to provide a color-coded classification for the books or binders to which the label holders are applied.

If desired the label holder can 'be formed of a transparent colored plastic material so that it will blend with the binding of the book to which it is applied or serve the purpose of color-coded classification.

I claim:

1. A label holder comprising a transparent front portion, flange means extending inwardly from opposite side edges of said body, said flange means overlying the rear face of said front portion so as to hold a label therebetween, said flange means being shorter than said front portion at the one end thereof, outwardly opening grooves in said opposite side edges, said grooves being defined by a pair of lips, said lips having longitudinal nubs thereon, said grooves having an access opening narrower than said grooves, and retaining means anchored in said grooves for re movably attaching said label holder to a book bind-- ing or the like, said retaining means including a U shaped member having return bent legs, the legs of said U being disposed in said grooves and the bight of said U shaped member being adjacent and below said flange means and serving as a stop for said label.

2. A label holder comprising a body having a transparent front portion, flanges extending inwardly from the side edges of said body, said flanges overlying the rear face of said front portion to hold a label therebetween, a pair of outwardly opening grooves in the opposite side edges of said body, and retaining means anchored in said grooves for removably attaching said label holder to a book binding or the like, said grooves being defined by a pair of lips having longitudinally extending nubs thereon.

3. A label holder as defined in claim 2 wherein said grooves are defined by a pair of lips having longitudinally extending nubs thereon.

4. A label holder as called for in claim 2 including a generally rectilinearly shaped label positioned between the rear face of said front portion and said flanges, said label having a colored border around its periphery which is visible through said transparent front portion.

5. A label holder comprising a body formed of transparent plastic material, said body having a transparent front portion and a pair of flanges extending inwardly from the side edges of the front portion and overlying the rear face of the front portion in slightly spaced relation thereto to form a label-receiving slot at the rear face of said front portion, the side edges of said front portion and the outer edges of said flanges being interconnected by an integral rib, each rib defining therebetween a groove extending longitudinally along each side edge of the body, each rib having a pair of longitudinally extending lips projecting laterally outwardly threfrom and the inner faces of which cooperate with said rib to define said groove, said lips being spaced apart at their free edges so that the grooves are open in a laterally outward direction and a spring wire U-shaped retainer having legs engaged in said groove, the adjacent portions of the free edges of said lips being spaced apart a distance less than the maximum cross dimension of each groove and the diameter of the wire legs of said retainer being greater than the distance between said adjacent portions of the free ends of said lips.

6. A label holder as called for in claim 5 including a generally rectilinearly shaped label in said slot, said label having a colored border around its periphery which is visible through said transparent front portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,539,069 1/1951 Galeone 16 2,764,161 9/1956 Sobesky l291 2,880,533 4/1959 Troendly 4010 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LABEL HOLDER COMPRISING A TRANSPARENT FRONT PORTION, FLANGE MEANS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID BODY, SAID FLANGE MEANS OVERLYING THE REAR FACE OF SAID FRONT PORTION SO AS TO HOLD A LABEL THEREBETWEEN, SAID FLANGE MEANS BEING SHORTER THAN SAID FRONT PORTION AT THE ONE END THEREOF, OUTWARDLY OPENING GROOVES IN SAID OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES, SAID GROOVES BEING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF LIPS, SAID LIPS HAVING LONGITUDINAL NUBS THEREON, SAID GROOVES HAVING AN ACESS OPENING NARROWER THAN SAID GROOVES, AND RETAINING MEANS ANCHORED IN SAID GROOVES FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING SAID LABEL HOLDER TO A BOOK BINDING OR THE LIKE, SAID RETAINING MEANS INCLUDING A U SHAPED MEMBER HAVING RETURN BENT LEGS, THE LEGS OF SAID U BEING DISPOSED IN SAID GROOVES AND THE BIGHT OF SAID U SHAPED MEMBER BEING ADJACENT AND BELOW SAID FLANGE MEANS AND SERVING AS A STOP FOR SAID LABEL. 